Construction has started at a £9 million speculative warehouse development in the West Midlands, leading commercial property developer Barberry Industrial has announced.
Main contractor A&H Construction has started work on a 3.5-acre site at Well Lane, Wolverhampton, where Barberry will deliver a 55,575 sq ft unit. Barberry acquired the site from ASSA ABLOY for an undisclosed sum.
Called Barberry 55, the development will be a highly specified Grade A building with 10-metre clear height eaves, 2,965 sq ft of internal offices, 45 car parking spaces and 50-metre yard depth, with dock and level access loading provision. It is expected to reach practical completion in Q3, 2022.
It demonstrates Barberry’s continued investment in the region and will create significant job opportunities while helping to address the shortage of new industrial accommodation in the West Midlands.
Jon Robinson, development director at West Midlands-based Barberry, said: “This start on site marks another great occasion in our quest to deliver another one of our market leading speculative developments comprising a new, Grade A industrial and logistics hub in Wolverhampton.
“We believe our new building will create the much needed quality accommodation for local, regional and national businesses to expand their operations within the Midlands creating much needed new jobs. We have seen significant occupier demand for new industrial and warehouse units of this size and specification, and we expect there to be a great deal of interest in Barberry 55.
“It perfectly complements the many other projects we have delivered within the region where we have delivered best in class, Grade A buildings. Our latest investment is expected to generate around 120 jobs, making a significant contribution to the local economy.”
Kieren Turner-Owen, associate director property at Frontier Development Capital, said: “Demand for high quality industrial and logistics space continues to grow in the West Midlands. Barberry 55 will help address the shortage of Grade A industrial accommodation. We are delighted to be working with Barberry on another scheme that unlocks unused brownfield land and helps deliver economic growth to the region.”
Robert Mottram, director, of A&H Construction, said: “We are delighted to have secured this construction tender and are very much looking forward to working with Barberry in delivering this project within the heart of Wolverhampton.”
The site is situated in a prime urban location just four miles from J10 of the M6 via the A454, within 3.4 miles from J1 of the M54. It also benefits from its close proximity to links to the M6 Toll, M5, and M42. It is adjacent to the Sainsbury’s supermarket in Wednesfield Way, with Bentley Bridge Retail Park nearby hosting a number of market leading shops and restaurants.
Other major occupiers nearby include Supersmart Services, Crown Workspace, Yodel, Euro Car Parts, Travis Perkins, Mercedes, Tool Station and Tata Steel. Jaguar Land Rover has an engine factory within five miles at i54.
Barberry has a 3.6 million sq ft industrial/logistics development portfolio with a Gross Development Value of in excess of £500 million. It is developing a £40 million state-of-the-art manufacturing and design facility for a global leader in engine and flight controls systems in Gloucestershire. The 207,000 sq ft centre of excellence for Moog’s Aircraft Controls Segment is being built on a 10-acre site at Ashchurch, Tewkesbury.
The company has also commenced speculative construction of three high quality mid-box manufacturing/logistics units totaling 222,750 sq ft at a prime West Midlands business park in a £37 million project. Barberry’s development includes industrial/logistics units of 47,750 sq ft, 62,000 sq ft and 113,000 sq ft at Wolf Pack, Hilton Cross Business Park, just off junction 1 of the M54, Wolverhampton.